Page 73 of Wedded to the Deviant Duke
“Then… I imagine my life without any of this,” Louise said softly, a note of somber recollection in her tone. “And I know it’s all entirely worth it. It’s frightening, certainly, to trust someone with all you are. But I think you’ve already gone through one of the hardest parts, Thalia.”
Before Thalia could inquire further, the telltale crunch of carriage wheels immediately caught her attention. She nearly dropped her cup as she stumbled to her feet, managing a hasty apology before moving towards the door.
She almost missed Louise’s words after the fact, though they didn’t fully process until she’d run through the hall and rounded the corner into the entryway. She was out of breath, her hair a mess from hours of nervous fidgeting, and she hadn’t changed out of what was certainly a wrinkled mess of a gown.
But the moment those double doors opened, and Gabriel came tumbling in, equally out-of-breath and somewhat scattered in appearance, nothing else mattered to Thalia.
And as his expression lit up like the moon in the sky, Louise’s last sentence came flooding back to her mind.
You’ve made Gabriel Harding smile.
CHAPTER32
Everyone clamored around Christian for the story, regardless how much he insisted it would make for better telling after a few hours of sleep. In all the commotion, Thalia allowed herself to be led away by Gabriel’s hand, the pair trailing to the kitchen as laughter filled the halls behind them. “They’re not going to let him rest, are they?” She asked.
“He does it to himself,” Gabriel replied.
“I cannot believe you’re abandoning him to that ravenous pack,” Thalia teased.
Gabriel raised his brow slightly, pausing at the kitchen doors. “Hardly. I’m simply making a pot of tea for everyone.”
“And you need me because…?”
A coy smile crossed Gabriel’s lips as he held the door open. “The tray can be quite heavy.”
“Oh, of course!” Thalia gave a delicate curtsy before sweeping inside, squealing in surprise as her waist was suddenly snagged. “Gabriel–!”
“You were waiting for me,” Gabriel crooned.
Thalia’s face flushed terribly, hands working to free herself from his arms. “I–I was not!”
“You were,” Gabriel insisted. “You were going to stay up all night, weren’t you?”
“No!”
“Rabbits aren’t nocturnal, you know,” he continued, leading the pair toward the cupboards.
“W-Wolves aren’t either,” Thalia argued, trying to reach a hand to grasp at the closest tea pot on the shelf. More laughter spilled out as he hoisted her up onto the counter, gathering both teapot and cups before shooting a playful glare her way. “I thought I was here to help carry the tray?”
“The tray isn’t ready, yet,” Gabriel replied coolly.
“Ah, yes.” Thalia sighed, hands settling against her lap as she watched Gabriel busy himself with preparations. It wasn’t long before an urn was set over the fireplace, water bubbling within as it came to a boil. “You have an answer for every little thing, don’t you?”
“I certainly like to,” Gabriel replied.
Thalia glanced at her hands, doing her best not to pick at her fingernail. There was no reason to be nervous, after all; old habits simply were hard to break. “Was… there another reason you separated me?”
Gabriel was quiet for a moment, checking the urn before drifting to Thalia’s side. He propped himself against the counter top, ensuring his full attention was on her, and her alone.
“I assume it’s in regards to the estate deeds.” Thalia sighed lightly, bracing herself for the worst. “Please know that I truly appreciate everything you’ve done up until this point.”
“I’m… glad to hear that.” Gabriel’s brow rose slightly, giving Thalia a bemused look. “Though I admit, I had hoped to place the deeds directly into your hand. Legalities, and all that; while the estates are technically under my name, it won’t take too terribly long to transfer ownership back to you.”
Thalia blinked, staring at Gabriel blankly.
“You look as if I’ve grown a third eye,” Gabriel chuckled.
“N-No! I just—” Thalia shook her head furiously, face heating up horrifically from embarrassment. “Forgive me; I had no doubt you would keep your word, but I wasn’t certain how exactly…?
